Performance

First Witch

What’s wrong, Hecate? You look angry.

Hecate

Don’t I have good reason, you impudent hags? How dare you trade in riddles and fatal matters and make deals with Macbeth without consulting me or asking me to show our dark powers? Me, the source of all your magic and all our evil plans. And, to make things worse, everything you’ve done has been for a disobedient, spiteful man, full of rage. Like most people, he loves only himself and his own ambition.

The closecontriver of all harms,

Was never called to bear my part,

Or show the glory of our art?

And, which is worse, all you have done

Hath been but for a wayward son,

Spiteful and wrathful, who, as others do,

Loves for his own ends, not for you.

But make amends now; get you gone,

And at the pit of Acheron

Allusion

Acheron

[Click to see note.]

Allusion

Acheron

“Acheron” is a classical allusion to the river of Acheron in Greek mythology. Acheron is the river of woe in Hades, the underworld in which all the dead reside.

Meet me i' the morning. Thither he

Will come to know his destiny.

Your vessels and your spells provide,

Your charms and every thing beside.

I am for the air. This night I'll spend

Unto a dismal and a fatal end.

Wordplay

"fatal"

[Click to see note.]

Wordplay

"fatal"

The wordplay here means that “fatal” can be read two ways:

Having to do with destiny. Hecate’s witchcraft has to do with Macbeth’s fate.

Deadly. Their results of her spells are going to mean death to someone.

(Hecate)

But you can make up for it. Get away from here, and meet me at the pit of Acheron in the morning. He’ll go there to find out his destiny. Bring your cauldrons, your spells, your charms and everything else you’ll need. I’m going to fly away now. I’ll spend tonight planning a terrible end for this business. Important things must be done before noon. Hanging on the tip of the moon, there’s a strong drop of vapor. I'll catch it before it falls to the ground. Distilled with my magic, that moondrop will raise spirits that will delude Macbeth.

Great business must be wrought ere noon.

Upon the corner of the moon

There hangs a vaporous drop, profound.

I'll catch it ere it come to ground.

And that, distilled by magic sleights,

Shall raise such artificialsprites,

As by the strength of their illusion,

Shall draw him on to his confusion.

He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear

His hopes 'bove wisdom, grace, and fear.

And you all know, security

(Hecate)

He’ll reject his fate and laugh at death, and his hopes will outweigh his wisdom and fear of dying. As you know, overconfidence is mankind’s worst enemy.

[Music and a song inside: 'Come away, come away,’]

Listen! I’m being called by my little spirit. It sits in the clouds and waits for me.